Wednesday 9 May 2012 16.37 EDT
First published on Wednesday 9 May 2012 16.37 EDT

Steve Harper has admitted that Newcastle United's fight for Champions League qualification this season has taken everyone by surprise.

The 37-year-old goalkeeper, a veteran of the club's last adventure on the biggest European stage under Sir Bobby Robson in 2002-03, started the campaign along with his team-mates targeting the top 10. However, a blistering start, barring the odd blip along the way, has continued largely unabated and they head into Sunday's trip to Everton still in with a chance of finishing third in the Premier League. Newcastle have confounded their critics to exceed all expectations, and perhaps even their own.

Harper said: "Sir Bobby built a young, counterattacking, real threat of a team and you could see it happening with Sir Bobby, whereas this season, the club was set up for the top 10. To be knocking on the door of a Champions League spot is real credit to everybody, and what a fantastic season it's been."

Harper has had to take a back seat this season, with the 24-year-old Holland international Tim Krul having fully justified Alan Pardew's decision to install him as his first choice, but the manager had praised the veteran on more than one occasion for his contribution in the dressing room.

The Easington-born keeper, who spent a decade as Shay Given's understudy at St James' Park, did play in the Champions League – perhaps most memorably in a 1-0 home victory over Juventus – and, having spent almost 19 years on Tyneside, is well-placed to assess the current situation.

As a result of Chelsea's 4-1 defeat at Liverpool on Tuesday, Newcastle can finish no lower than fifth and at worst, will play in the Europa League next season. That is a remarkable achievement considering that they finished 12th a year ago at the end of their first campaign back in the top flight.

Robson guided the club from 11th place at the end of the 2000-01 season into fourth 12 months later, and while the gap bridged is similar, he had players such as Given, Rob Lee, Gary Speed and Alan Shearer within his squad.

The former England manager was fondly remembered at the weekend as the club he led for five years between 1999 and 2004 unveiled a statue in his memory. Harper's recollections of Robson are many and colourful. He said: "Whenever people ask you about Sir Bobby, the first thing you do is smile because you think of the enthusiasm, the love he had for the club, for football in general and for his players.

"He really bought into his players and got the best out of them. I remember we played Barcelona at home in pre-season and we were 3-0 down after and hour and he said: 'You are going on, son, you are going on.' As I stood there waiting to go on – bearing in mind we were 3-0 down and getting battered – just as I was about to enter the pitch, he said: 'Steve, don't let any more goals in, son, we are getting murdered.'

"We were 3-0 down against Barcelona and I was running on with a smile on my face. That's the way he had of relaxing players and putting them at ease and making them feel comfortable on the big stage. He was that type of man, and he is sorely missed."

Robson, of course, was indebted to Shearer for the goals he scored throughout his reign – he scored 30 in the manager's first season, including five in his opening home game – but even he would have been thrilled by January signing Papiss Cissé's 13 in 13 appearances.

That has led to speculation that potential buyers could come calling for the £10m man this summer, and the club has moved to insist the Senegal international has not issued a "come and get me" plea to Real Madrid in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe.